Posted on March 10, 2022

Prince William Calls War in Europe “Alien to See,” Sparking Backlash Online

Emily Burack, Town & Country, March 9, 2022

Prince William’s comments about the war in Ukraine are facing backlash online. Per the Independent, the Duke of Cambridge “said Britons were more used to seeing conflict in Africa and Asia.” Prince William then said, “It’s very alien to see this in Europe. We are all behind you.” Adding that he wanted to do more to help, he continued, “We feel so useless.”

The comments came during Prince William and Kate Middleton’s visit to a Ukrainian Cultural Center in London, where they met with volunteers and heard about the relief efforts undergoing in the UK. Prince William also shared that their kids have been asking about the conflict.

However, it’s his quote about the war being “alien” in Europe that is quickly going viral. One tweet from Independent columnist Nadine White has garnered thousands of retweets, expressing outrage at William:

Activist Bree Newsome tweeted about William’s comments, calling them “wildly ahistorical.”

Many commentators are pointing out that two major world wars were fought in Europe, and Prince William has lived through conflict on the continent in his lifetime—including the Kosovo War from 1998 to 1999, and the Russian invasion of Crimea in 2014.

Some turned to jokes, like comedian Nish Kumar, who tweeted, “And who might have started those wars and bloodshed in Africa and Asia buddies?”

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